Good practice:

5X5® - Design Thinking Programme

5X5® is a methodology in which companies develop, together with a designer duo, a new product or service in one year, applying the different aspects of product development and design thinking. The new products or services are launched at a big professional public event, after which the companies commercialize the result. The methodology 5X5® is a tested and effective model of support programme aiming to increase company’s competitiveness through design.
You learn the methodology by doing it in 12 steps.
The 5X5® methodology has been developed in the Kortrijk region (BE) and is now available via a license model to transform companies around the world. The licence allows the licensee to give regional companies a boost in design thinking. As a licensee you can roll out multiple 5X5® programmes. To that end the licensor provides the licensee with all necessary knowledge on the tried-and-tested 12 step-programme, including tips & tricks, and tools; access to the community of companies and designers that already participated in a 5X5® programme and communication on the cases and branding of the 5X5® trademark.

Network: The Licensee has a demonstrable, broad and close-knit network of companies and designers. Human resources: One person is needed to coordinate the 5X5® programme. Respect for the process: The Licensee shall respect the following process steps. Exposure of the results and communication.

At present 30 companies already participated in the programme (see www.5X5.design). Each of them developed a new product together with a (duo of) designer(s). The hands-on implementation and integration of the design thinking methodology led to a transformation of the business model at the heart of the companies.

The key players in 5X5® are the 5 designer duos and the coordinator that directs the 12-step programme. They are reimbursed by the programme by using the participation fees of the participating companies. In addition, there are traditional costs such as public events, meetings & communication.

The licensee can organise multiple 5X5® programmes simultaneously. If you have 1 person dedicated to 5X5®, you can run up to 3 programmes at the same time. During a period of 6 years, this results in a positive balance. If you organise 6 complete programmes, licence costs will be recovered after 4 years. After that, you can make use of the brand as long as you respect the 12-step programme.
Designregio Kortrijk has developed this hands-on methodology in more than 10 years. By applying the license, you can speed up to help companies transform by using design thinking in your own region. The tried-and-tested 5X5® methodology has proven to be highly effective and is now ready to scale. In this way we will be able to make companies more competitive and allow them to grow in international markets. As part of the project Design 4 Innovation the programme was presented at the workshop in Valletta and several project partners expressed interest in adopting the programme in their regions.